Ships Fraudulent Invoices
UK P&I club issued an article today regarding a recent case to extort funds through fraudulent invoicing. The fraud was revealed when an accounts clerk and the master of the vessel targeted discovered the false invoice. Mentioned vessel was billed for “Harbour and General Port services” however the itemised bill, including MARPOL discharge costs, were covered by the usual ports dues.
Cargo Ship Detained for no Reason in Kazakhstan
Russian general cargo ship has been detained since 15 August by Kazakhstan authorities for border pass rules violation, but without any evidence. The ship was loaded with equipment for oil refinery destined for Rostov-on-Don, Kazakhstan.
SIBCON 2012
Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the 17th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) will be held from 16 to 19 October next week at Resorts World Sentosa. Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, will officiate as Guest-of-Honour at the opening ceremony on 17 October. The biennial event, by far the world’s largest and most influential forum for the marine fuels industry, will see bunkering and shipping professionals converge at the world’s largest bunker market to conduct business and listen to thought leaders.
Drunken Captain Almost Run Cargo Ship Aground
The cargo ship Wilson Avonmouth was in danger of running aground north of Helsingør on Oct 10, 2012, around midnight. Drunken captain woke up at the very last minute. A quick response and cooperation between Danish and Swedish authorities prevented a Maltese-registered cargo ship running aground north of Elsinore on Tuesday night.
WatchStander Non Lethal Anti-Piracy Device
The WatchStander system was originally developed for the US naval fleet but has been modified and adapted over the past two years for use by commercial vessels, cruise ships and yachts. A significant advance in anti-pirate technology, WatchStander is a fully automated and integrated system that detects and identifies pirates before launching a series of non-lethal but highly effective counter measures.
MSC Flaminia Fire Timeline
A few days ago a Filipino seafarer who was onboard the well known MSC Flaminia fire accident died in hospital in Portugal from severe burns that he suffered in a fire. MSC Flaminia is a German container ship that caught fire on 14 July 2012 forcing the crew to abandon ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The ship remained at sea after the fire for over a month and among others at a specific time EU countries were refusing to offer shelter to the vessel most probably due to hazardous materials stored within its containers. Taking the opportunity a full timeline of the MSC Flaminia fire has been compiled mainly from information from the Maritime Bulletin.
UK Crewing Agent Guilty of Withholding Seafarers’ Pay
A Liverpool court has found a director of a crewing agent operating in the UK guilty of withholding approximately £21,000 in pay from four seafarers. The court in Liverpool ordered the director of a UK Crewing Agency, to pay fines and costs totalling £3,015. The crewing director, who admitted the offences, was prosecuted by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate following an investigation into claims of non-payment of wages. The UK Crewing Agency has now gone into liquidation.
Monthly Piracy Report September 2012
All information presented below are retrieved from ICC Commercial Crime Services (CCS) and are being updated on a monthly basis. For up to date live and accurate information please refer to ICC Commercial Crime Services (CCS) website.
- Total Attacks Worldwide: 225
- Total Hijackings Worldwide: 24
- Total Incidents in Somalia: 70
- Total Hijackings in Somalia: 13
- Total Hostages in Somalia: 212
- Vessels held by Somali Pirates: 11
- Hostages held by Somali Pirates: 188
Increased Collision And Grounding Risk in Chittagong
Gard released an alert today regarding increased collision and grounding risks in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The dragging of anchor due to strong underwater current at the outer anchorage, is a common occurrence. There have been cases where vessels attempting to cross the bow of an anchored vessel at close range have been involved in collisions.
Officer of the Watch 